No wonder why OSHA has a database full of miter saw injuries

[Cooler]

A couple of years after I graduated high school, I ran into a classmate and both his arms had been amputated at the elbow.  He had grasping hooks.  

This was 35 years before I got my first table saw, so I did doubt his explanation at that time.  He said it was an accident at work at a cabinet shop.  It happened on the table saw.

Years later, after I was using my table saw for a while and after using my radial arm saw for a while, I started to question his explanation.  

I think my revised explanation is more viable.  He was a heavy drinker and played poker for a lot more than any of the rest of us could afford.  He said it was no problem because he wa a very good poker player.  

My revised explaination is that he got in deep  with some loan sharks and it was not an accident at all, though I am certain it happened in the cabinet shop.

He was a classmate and not a friend (and not an enemy either).  We just traveled in different circles.  So I don't think my opinion of him is tainting my reasoning.

Is there any reasonable way someone could accidently cut off both arms at the elbow with a table saw?  Maybe he needed those two red lines drawn on the saw table.

[AHill]

He is making that cut like a barbarian. It a very short piece of fine trim not a tubafor. He needs to add a wood zero clearance auxiliary fence to close that gap between the factory fence and support the wood as it’s being cut. It would improve his safety and quality of cut by backing up the miter and preventing grain tear out. He was lucky to not have had an accident.

Edited to add this link showing the right way. https://youtu.be/iyEuP5v8wik

Maybe he's using his miter saw safely, but his table saw technique leaves a lot to be desired.  No push stick on his first cut.  He reaches over a spinning blade wearing long sleeves.  No safety guards on his TS blade.  Mercy.

[Handplanesandmore]

Your comment made me re-watch the CMT video (I did not watch the tablesawing part the first time around).

Not waiting for the blade to coast down and stop (1:55) is in itself another cause for concern as both the sawstop database and the OSHA have documented it as being one of the common causes for blade-contact injuries. The Woodgears guy hurt himself when he made contact with the blade while it was coasting down if my memory is right.

Simon

[K. L. McReynolds]

Ok, the push sticks he had on that TS are among the most dangerous type, IMHO. No way would I use anything like that. Wat too easy to allow the stock to move.

I use push blocks which allow me to have positive pressure on the stock. Minimizes the possibility of stock moving in an unwanted manner.

Of course, having sharp blades also minimizes problems. Dull blades cause incidents.

[Cooler]

Ok, the push sticks he had on that TS are among the most dangerous type, IMHO. No way would I use anything like that. Wat too easy to allow the stock to move.

I use push blocks which allow me to have positive pressure on the stock. Minimizes the possibility of stock moving in an unwanted manner.

Of course, having sharp blades also minimizes problems. Dull blades cause incidents.

And ripping without any splitter.

[Handplanesandmore]

Ok, the push sticks he had on that TS are among the most dangerous type, IMHO. No way would I use anything like that. Wat too easy to allow the stock to move.

I fully agree...and I suppose we can blame Norm Abram partially for that as many learning to do woodworking from him saw him use it



That stick, especially when positioned close to the fence, could easily push a workpiece away from the fence at the exit end. It is unbelievable that some vendors still produce and sell that kind of stick, and even the OSHA shows it on its web site.

Simon

[Cooler]

I fully agree...and I suppose we can blame Norm Abram partially for that as many learning to do woodworking from him saw him use it



That stick, especially when positioned close to the fence, could easily push a workpiece away from the fence at the exit end. It is unbelievable that some vendors still produce and sell that kind of stick, and even the OSHA shows it on its web site.

Simon

Worse, if it is plastic (and most are) it stores some energy by flexing and explodes in your hand.  Wood push sticks will simply grind away if it catches the blade, but not the plastic ones.

I just cut a large triangle of MDF and make and cut away the bottom to leave 3/8" remaining to push the wood.  The 45 degree angle means I am pushing down and forward at the same time.  The MDF has some friction too and that helps. 

I have a high end pusher that uses rubber for friction to push the stock.  But saw dust so significantly reduces the coefficient of friction that it becomes worthless unless I keep wiping it down with a damp rag.  My home made one usually works better.

[Stwood_]

Guilty of that and I don't look away for a second and I have a pretty good grip.  If my hands get weak I will probably stop doing it

+1

[Handplanesandmore]

Ok, this guy used the right kind of push stick (yes, still no riving knife or splitter or blade guard), but...

https://youtu.be/yAQnr9VkqPQ?t=23

(you only need to watch the first 5 seconds.)

Another statistic waiting to be captured.


Simon

[Admiral]

This is why I use an old Stanley miter box and handsaw for these types of cuts.